Today for a variety of reasons there is a need for buildings that can be rapidly constructed and easily transported. Such structures are frequently inflated with air to form the desired structure. Such inflatable structures offer the advantage of being capable of being erected in a matter of hours as compared to the weeks or months that it typically takes to construct permanent frame buildings. In their uninflated state such structures are light and compact which makes them easily transportable. This is of great benefit to campers and to the military. Inflatable structures are also of benefit in applications where the structure is only needed during certain seasons of the year. For instance, inflatable structures can be used over the winter months for storing boats, jet skis, tractors, farm implements, and other equipment that it is desirable to protect from the elements during the winter. Inflatable structures offer the advantage of being deflatable so that they can be quickly and easily removed during periods when they are not needed. Inflatable buildings of this type are used to enclose recreational facilities for use in the winter time. Swimming pools and tennis courts are two examples of such facilities which are commonly converted for winter use by the erection of an inflatable building. Naturally, such buildings must be heated and this is done by heating the air that is pumped into the building to maintain its interior pressure. Most of these recreational structures are used only in the winter. In the spring, they are deflated, taken apart, and placed in storage.
Inflatable buildings have not come into widespread use because they are not generally as durable as permanent frame buildings. This is because inflatable structures can generally be easily damaged by acts of nature, accidents, and even intentional acts of maliciousness. For instance, inflatable buildings generally do not have the structural strength to withstand high winds such as those that might be encountered during a tropical storm or a hurricane. The buildup of ice and snow on such structures can also prove to be problematic by virtue of putting more weight on the structure than it is capable of withstanding. Inflatable buildings are also more susceptible to mechanical damage by impact from debris, such as tree limbs, which can in worst case scenarios rupture the inflatable structure causing it to deflate. Unfortunately, inflatable buildings that are supported solely by air pressure are also attractive targets for vandals because catastrophic damage can be inflicted using minimal effort.
Another disadvantage that is currently limiting what would otherwise be an even more widespread use of inflatable structures is the fact that such structures are notoriously ineffective in restraining heat transmission into and out of the thus enclosed space. This is basically due to the fact that a space enclosed by such inflatable structures is separated from the ambient environment only by a thin wall of the inflated structure. The consequent, inordinately high heat transmission co-efficient for the structure makes the heating and air-conditioning of the enclosed space both difficult and very expensive. Troublesome condensation also arises when the moist, warm interior air contacts the cold, thin wall of the air structure. These factors negate much, if not all, of the economic advantages of utilizing such a structure in those many cases where heating or air-conditioning is a requirement.
There also exists a need for a light weight and reusable inflatable protective covering for conventional windows that is easy to use and easy to store. High winds and flying debris associated with severe storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes often cause glass windows to break, sending shattered glass indoors and allowing the wind, rain and flying debris to then damage the interior of the building. Protection of glass windows in buildings during storms is a common problem and a variety of methods have been employed to prevent windows from breaking under such conditions. Prior art methods for protecting glass windows in buildings from storm damage include prefabricated storm shutters, plywood sheets, lamination systems, taping, and compressible structures.
Prefabricated storm shutters are designed to fit the exact dimensions of a window and typically provide adequate protection from flying debris and high winds. However, prefabricated storm shutters are expensive, and also require substantial time for construction meaning they would not be available unless ordered well in advance of the storm. Plywood sheets also may offer adequate protection for windows, but the sheets must be cut to the proper size and require screwing into the building to secure the plywood sheet over the window. Plywood sheets are heavy which makes installation difficult, and in some cases impossible, for homeowners such as the elderly. Also, the plywood sheets must either be stored after a storm until they are needed again, or disposed of in some way which then requires purchasing new plywood sheets upon the occurrence of another severe storm, tornado or hurricane. Lamination systems are designed to prevent broken glass from collapsing into the building, however the lamination systems are not effective at preventing a glass window from shattering. Similarly, taping does not protect a glass window from shattering but instead only prevents the shattered glass from collapsing into the building. Compressible structures have been developed for temporary positioning over a glass pane during a storm wherein a shaping member is filled with a fluidic compressible material which dries or cures to form a layer of solidified compressible material. Such a compressible structure requires considerable storage space after being used for the first time, and the compressible material may also be expensive and difficult to find.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,355 and 4,924,651 describe an inflatable building structure erectable in situ for housing plants comprising a plurality of vertically oriented support posts arranged in two or more spaced parallel rows thereof, the outer rows of which define opposite sides of the building structure; a roof structure formed from one or more inflatable membranes attached to and standing between two spaced parallel rows of support posts and constituting the roof of the building structure; elevating means including cables connected to the tops of the posts of said two rows thereof for raising said one or more inflatable membranes in an uninflated condition to a position supported on the tops of said posts and providing upper and lower support cables for roof members when inflated; one or more side curtains associated with the outer rows of said support posts and extending substantially from the top of the posts to adjacent ground level; actuating means for selectively raising or lowering the lower end of said one or more side curtains; thermostat control means for operating said actuating means to raise or lower the bottom end of said one or more curtains in response to temperature variations from a selected temperature in order to maintain the temperature of the interior of the building structure at the selected temperature; said actuating means including a support rail attached to an adjacent vertically oriented support post; a carriage member for reciprocatable movement along the support rail; a support rod for supporting at least one of said side curtains in the course of its raising and lowering movement; a motor assembly mounted in the support rail; and gear means interconnecting the motor assembly and said support rod for said one side curtain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,437 also describes an inflatable building which relies upon a support frame for internal support. U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,437 more specifically describes a building comprising: (a) support frame means including a plurality of spaced-apart upright first frame means having their lower ends anchored to base means and having their upper ends interconnected to a grid formed of plural spaced-apart second frame members; (b) first and second manifold means mounted adjacent to the periphery of said support frame means and each having an inlet and plural outlets, with their inlets being respectively fluid-connected to a source of pressurized fluid through separate first and second control valve means and with the plural outlets of said first manifold means being offset from the plural outlets of the second manifold means; and (c) covering means for covering said support frame means including two groups of plural inflatable hollow tubular members which extend across said frame means generally parallel to one another, with all members of a first group of said two groups being substantially opaque about their entire tubular peripheries and fluid-connected to the outlets of said first manifold means and all members of a second group of said two groups being substantially translucent and fluid-connected to the outlets of said second manifold means and with one member of each of said groups being located contiguous to one member of the other of said groups such that the amount of light that can be transmitted through said covering means can be selectively varied through operation of said valve means.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,366 discloses an air supported shelter that is provided with stability by a series of vertical, rigid posts and angled braces. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,366 more specifically discloses an air supported enclosure having its lower peripheral edges attached to a base, comprising: a flexible cover envelope comprising elongated flexible sheets arranged in parallel adjacent relationship to each other to cover the entire area to be enclosed; a pair of parallel spaced apart flexible elongated reinforcing members positioned loosely against an inside surface of each sheet; each reinforcing member being positioned laterally inwardly a spaced distance from a corresponding side edge of the sheet so that a center portion of each sheet lies between the pair of reinforcing members and an excess width portion of each side edge of the sheet extends over and downwardly below the respective reinforcing member to form a loosely hanging substantially vertical flap throughout the entire width of the flap; each sheet being positioned against an adjacent sheet with each loosely hanging substantially vertical flap in intimate contact with an adjacent loosely hanging substantially vertical flap and the respective reinforcing members at each pair of adjacent flaps being in close proximity to each other separated by the two adjacent flaps; retaining means fastening together each pair of adjacent reinforcing members at spaced intervals along the length thereof to form elongated closures between the adjacent sheets and hold each pair of adjacent flaps in contact with each other when air inflation pressure is introduced into the enclosure; each end of the sheets and the reinforcing members being sealingly attached to a periphery of the base to form an airtight enclosure over the base; and means supplying internal inflation pressure to the interior of the enclosure in excess of atmospheric pressure; the internal pressure forcing together adjacent surfaces of each adjacent pair of loosely hanging substantially vertical flaps to seal the elongated closures between adjacent sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,984 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,330 also disclose inflatable structures that are supported by air pressure being pumped into the interior of the structure. U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,984 discloses an air inflated shell-like structure for enclosing a volume of space therein, said structure having insulated walls which curtail heat flow from or into said enclosed volume, comprising: a flexible outer skin defining the exterior shell of said structure; means for providing positive air pressure within said enclosed volume of said structure for maintaining said skin in a fully expanded condition, the geometry of said skin being such that in said expanded condition, concavities are formed by said skin defining said shell wall; and a thin plastic film secured at the outer surface boundaries of said concavity, and secured to the shell wall within said boundary, said thin film being continuous across said boundary and the surface area of the film being less than surface of said concavity within said boundary, the space between said outer skin and thin plastic film communicating by openings in said plastic film with the said enclosed volume of said structure and being at the pressure of said enclosed volume, whereby said flexible outer skin is expanded by said positive pressure in said enclosed volume, whereby in the inflated structure, the said film is extended in taut fashion across the concavity to define an insulating air space between wall and film. U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,330 discloses a double-wall fabric panel unit having interior and exterior sides for use as wall sections in the construction of inflatable buildings, comprising, in combination, a first elongated panel of fabric, and an elongated thermal liner panel having an edge strip extending along each side edge thereof attached to the face of said first panel which is in the interior of the building, each of said side edge strips being discontinuous at intervals along the length of said liner panel to provide a plurality of spaced unobstructed air passageways to the atmosphere to vent air from between said panels when said unit is rolled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,991 also discloses an inflatable building which is particularly suitable for utilization as a greenhouse that is supported by air pressure within the structure of the building relative to the pressure of the atmosphere outside of the building. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,991 more specifically discloses an inflatable building construction, in particular suitable for use as a tunnel greenhouse comprising a film, said film being kept in an operative condition doming a predetermined useful space through an air pressure that has been increased relative to the environment, said film having longitudinal edges anchored in a substantially open trench said building construction further including at least one expandable hose or tube laying in the trench and engaging the longitudinal edge of said film in the trench said hose or tube being filled with fluid under pressure, thereby pressing the longitudinal edge of said film against at least one wall of the trench and firmly retaining the film edges in the trench.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,156 discloses a building construction including a lattice-like network of support elements connected together at junctures to form a three-dimensional frame for the support of a fabric-like canopy laid thereover as an enclosure which is secured along its bottom edge, a plurality of hollow and resilient ball-like buffers, each of which is supported by the frame at a point of juncture of some of said support elements to engage the canopy and thereby to prevent the said canopy from direct engagement with the frame, particularly at the said juncture point, and at least one of the support elements at each juncture of such elements comprising a conduit connected to the buffer at the juncture point and also connected with a source of gas under pressure whereby all of said buffers are gas filled at the pressure of said source.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,405 relates to an inflatable structure that relies upon inflatable tubular ribs for structural support. U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,405 more specifically discloses an inflatable structure, comprising: a plurality of inflatable rib members arranged in a lattice-like framework; a plurality of inflatable panel members, each said panel member being supported within a frame section defined by a plurality of said inflatable rib members; valve means communicating with said rib members and said panel members for supplying a substance under pressure to inflation chambers defined within said rib members and said panel members; and said inflatable structure being dome-shaped in its inflate state; each said frame section supporting each said panel member is defined by three of said inflatable rib members arranged in a substantially equilateral triangle configuration; and said inflatable structure has a geodesic dome shape in its inflated state; each said rib member is substantially tubular; and each said panel member is formed of at least an inner and an outer ply of material having said inflation chamber defined therebetween; said panel members are affixed to said rib members by seam portions; and conduits are provided in said seam portions to permit communication between said inflation chambers of said rib members and said inflation chambers of said panel members; said plurality of inflatable rib members have the inflation chambers thereof intercommunicating so as to define a plurality of inflation sections of said inflatable structure; and each said inflation section of said inflatable structure is provided with at least one said valve means; each said substantially tubular rib member is formed with a central ply of material extending transversely therethrough; each said panel member is formed with a central ply of material extending transversely therethrough in substantially coplanar relation to said central ply of said rib members; and said central plies are provided with perforations to permit flow of said substance under pressure therethrough; and an external ply of material extends over at least a plurality of said frame sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,619 discloses an inflatable building that relies upon inflatable beams for structural support. This patent more specifically relates to a canopy, which can be inflated and deployed by inflation, and retracted by deflation, said canopy comprising: a plurality of inflatable beams arranged side by side, said inflatable beams each having an inner space and walls, said plurality including an upper inflatable beam and a lower inflatable beam; a pressurized-fluid-supplier operable to supply said inflatable beams with pressurized fluid; a rigid beam having a wall; sliding means for sliding said inflatable beams along at least one deployment or refolding path formed by said rigid beam passing, in a leaktight manner, through said inflatable beams and forming a fluid-conveying channel linked to said pressurized-fluid supplier; at least one orifice in said wall of said rigid beam, placing said pressurized-fluid supplier in communication with said inner space of said inflatable beams; linking means for leaktight linking of adjacent walls of said inflatable beams around said rigid beam; spacing means, around said rigid beam, for spacing said walls of said upper inflatable beam from one another; at least one bearing element bearing against said inflatable beams; and positioning means for successive positioning of said inner space of each inflatable beam, said positioning means being opposite said orifice of said rigid beam to guarantee inflation of said inflatable beams, by the pressurized fluid, from said upper inflatable beam to said lower inflatable beam and deflation of said inflatable beams from said lower inflatable beam to said upper inflatable beam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,873 discloses an inflatable structure having a plurality of sections wherein each section has a series of inflatable arched tubes that are arranged parallel to each other and in successive tangential abutting contact. This patent more specifically discloses an inflatable shelter having at least two separate sections, each section having a series of inflatable arched tubes arranged transversely of said section, adjacent ones of said tubes in each section are interconnected, means interconnecting adjacent sections each of said sections having a roof cover sheet overlying the tubes in their respective sections, each of said covers has means for securing the section it overlies to an adjacent section, and anchoring means connected to said cover sheets for anchoring said cover sheets and sections to the ground supporting said inflatable shelter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,012 relates to a cabling system to improve the ability of an inflatable building to withstand wind. This patent more specifically discloses a cabling system for reinforcement of an inflatable building structure comprising a latticework of crisscrossed cables arranged to extend over the entire building with substantially all of the cables which meet a lower peripheral edge of the structure being arranged diagonally at a uniform angle of substantially less than ninety degrees to that edge and with substantially all of said cables which meet a lower peripheral edge being paired with and meeting an opposite diagonally extending cable at said peripheral edge, the members of each of said pairs of diagonally opposite extending cables being formed from one continuous cable extending down on one diagonal to the edge and turning back up on the other diagonal, anchoring means to hold said continuous cable at the turn between diagonals, said anchoring means comprising a sheave arranged to permit an adjustment in length between the associated diagonal cables wherein one diagonal cable becomes longer and the other diagonal cable becomes shorter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,561 describes the utility of utilizing an inflatable structure as a floating boat house and U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,969 describes the utilization of a dome-shaped inflatable structure as a greenhouse. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,816 describes an inflatable building block with collapsible sides and with coupling means on the upper and lower faces which allow the blocks to be interconnected to form structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,381 describes fiber reinforced composite cores and panels formed from a plastic foam material having elongated porous and fibrous webs and/or rovings extending through the foam material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,381 more specifically discloses a fiber reinforced core adapted for infusion with a hardenable resin and having opposite core surfaces adapted to be attached to corresponding skins, said core comprising plastics foam material forming said core surfaces, a plurality of rows of reinforcing struts extending between said opposite core surfaces, each of said struts comprising porous and fibrous rovings enclosed by said foam material, and said struts having cut and flared end portions overlying at least one of said core surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,898,907 describes structures positioned over glass panes to absorb forces from high winds and wind-borne debris to protect the glass panes from shattering and damage. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,898,907 discloses a protected window structure comprising a window structure including a frame circumscribing an area containing exposed glass having an exterior facing side; a shaping member removably secured on said window structure and defining a cavity over said exterior facing side of said glass; a body of solidified compressible material in said cavity of a size to cover said area circumscribed by said from at least substantially in its entirety to provide protection for said glass, said compressible material being supplied to said cavity in a fluidic form and solidifying in said cavity; and a port in said shaping member communicating with said cavity by which said compressible material is supplied to said cavity in said fluidic form.